11/4/13

Creative Writing/Fiction technique - Wikibooks, open books for an open world

Creative Writing/Fiction technique

Fiction technique is a set of rules for writers who want to write quality fiction for novels, novellas, or short stories. They were developed through trial and error by fiction writers throughout history, including authors from ancient Greece. Some rules are rigid, whereas others are flexible. It is the astute writer who endeavors to master fiction writing that will know which rules to adhere and which to break. This is a work in progress and is a HOW TO manual on developing good fiction writing sk ills. It should not contain content for "How to get an agent", "How to submit a manuscript", "How to get out of the slushpile", "Negotiating contracts", "Dealing with rejection", or English grammar advice. Those don't describe how to write good fiction. The following is a suggested outline of the planned article structure. This comment should be removed once the sections are fleshed out.

The 3 Acts
The Greek play Beginning, Middle, End

Character Development
1. Characters are what they do on the page 2. Justifying the behavior of characters (show their fears, hopes, loves, hates, motivations and how these lead to action) 3. What readers need to know about a character -- less than writers think! 4. Multidimensionality -- fleshing out cardboard cutouts 1. What do they hate? 2. What is their favorite color? 3. Are they obsessive about something, and if so what? 4. What are their favorite expressions and exclamations? 5. What are they afraid of? 5. There is no need for gushing physical descriptions!

Plot Development
Conflict and turmoil The opening scene: getting to the conflict quickly Showing versus telling Narrative and exposition Weaving back story Plants and how to use them unobstrusively The basic plots (there are fewer than 25 original plots) Which comes first? The character or the plot. Secondary plots

Climax and Plot Conclusion

The reader expects closure: satisfying the reader The rise and climax of conflict When to quit
en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Creative_Writing/Fiction_technique 1/5

11/4/13

Creative Writing/Fiction technique - Wikibooks, open books for an open world

Setting and Scene

Where, when, who Scene as the driver of plot Beats How to arrange and order scenes Keeping the story moving and keeping the reader interested Alternation of fast action and slow action What scenes are needed, which are useless

Point of View
Is it First Person? Third? Be clear on how you set this up!

Dialogue
Showing through dialogue Revealing back story through dialogue (and making it sound natural) Revealing character through dialogue Dialogue Mechanics-- attributions and tags Interior monologue

Self Editing
Less is more and eliminating redundancy and useless words Eliminating errors and rooting out plot mistakes The overuse of adverbs (the -ly kind) to substitute for weak prose Speaker attributions _____, he said. Not ____, said he. Limiting descriptions on attributions _____, he groaned. ______, she cried. _____, they beckoned. etc. Adverbs and attributions Paragraphing The clich and hackneyed Deus Ex Machina

Mastering Fiction
Getting organized Writing an outline or synopsis Using index cards Research: locale, history, people, customs, etc Writing as habit Ideas Allusion Metaphor
en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Creative_Writing/Fiction_technique 2/5

11/4/13

Creative Writing/Fiction technique - Wikibooks, open books for an open world

Theme Prose as art Rhythm, word selection, sentence and paragraph length, variation Reading (and imitating) the works of the great authors

Writer's Block
Techniques to break through Write down anything that comes to mind. Try to draw ideas from what has been written. Take a break from writing. Read other peoples' writing to get ideas. Ask others if they have any ideas. Write with the screen off, it limits your inclination to edit as you write. Don't be afraid of writing awkwardly. Write it down, and edit it later. Set deadlines and keep them. Work on multiple projects at a time Avoid sitting for hours on end staring at a blank page. Go out and do something different, then come back when you have more ideas. 10. If you are jammed where you are, stop and write somewhere else, where it is comfortable. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Resources for Fiction Writers

Web Books on writing Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, by Renni Brown and Dave King, technique Writing Fiction: A Guide to Narrative Craft, by Janet Burroway, technique The Art of Fiction: Notes on Craft for Young Writers, by John Gardner, technique Writing Down the Bones, by Natalie Goldberg, inspirational On Writing, by Stephen King, inspirational Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott, inspirational Writing to Sell, by Scott Meredith, technique The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr., technique Guide to Ficting Writing, by Phyllis A. Whitney, technique with some inspiraton Novel Metamorphosis:Uncommon Ways to Revise (http://www.novelmetamorphosis.com) by Darcy Pattison, techniques for editing and revising Magazines The Writer Magazine (http://www.writermag.com) Writer's Digest Magazine (http://www.writersdigest.com) Newsletters The Novel News (http://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/860454) The public library Software
en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Creative_Writing/Fiction_technique 3/5

11/4/13

Creative Writing/Fiction technique - Wikibooks, open books for an open world

Word processers Story generators Writing classes Groups The Novel Workshop (http://www.writing.com/main/forums/item_id/559910) Paying for professional advice

Recommended Reading List

A list of masterful works you should strive to learn from. Novels: The Red Badge of Courage, by Stephen Crane The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway Catcher In The Rye, by J.D. Salinger Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston Devil in a Blue Dress, by Walter Mosley Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut Short stories The Raven, by Edgar Allan Poe Famous Authors Edgar Allan Poe

External links
The Untitled Forum - creative writing discussions and critique for authors of fiction (http://www.everyauthor.com/forum/)

See also
Fiction Creative writing Novel Novella Short story Retrieved from "http://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?title=Creative_Writing/Fiction_technique&oldid=2091420"
This page w as last modified on 2 May 2011, at 23:55. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Creative_Writing/Fiction_technique

lucky leap Ads

4/5

11/4/13

Creative Writing/Fiction technique - Wikibooks, open books for an open world

en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Creative_Writing/Fiction_technique

5/5